Although most people know of Subaru as one of the safest automakers in the industry, they haven’t given up on trying to improve their technology yet, and at the Geneva Motor Show Nobuhiko Marakami, the head of Subaru was on record saying that they were hoping to become the number one automaker for safety in the industry. This shows that the company is modest and that they have major goals for improvements in the future. While at the motor show the main highlights were of Subaru’s new Eyesight safety system. The system is designed to make driving even safer and Subaru is hoping that it will help make their vehicles the safest in the industry.

Subaru’s new Eyesight system is designed to help drivers avoid crashing altogether and should offer more proactive protection to drivers. It’s the type of technology that will go from trying to minimize damage done after a crash, and simply tries to get rid of crashing all together.

Already at the Top

Subaru is one of the safest automakers in the industry currently, and they aren’t satisfied with that position. They want to continue improving safety features and to get even farther ahead of competitors. Subaru is the only automaker to receive a Top Safety Pick rating on all their lineup from the IIHS. Not only did the automaker accomplish this impressive feat in the last year, but it’s been doing in for the past five years.

Building on Existing Trust

Even though that Subaru knows they are one of the safest car makers in the auto world, they don’t want to lose the trust they currently have with customers. The best way to maintain trust is to keep producing top level products in the future, and that’s exactly what the automaker plans on doing. They are adding a range of new features to enhance their vehicles, but a great deal of research and development money goes into safety features and improvements and that really shows with all of the awards that the automaker has earned in the past.

Lower Insurance Premiums

If Subaru and other automakers are able to create vehicles that are better at avoiding crashes autonomously there’s a good chance that accident rates will go down and with them insurance premiums. This means that owning a vehicle will be more affordable and owners will be able to enjoy paying less for their cars each month. Not only will insurance rates go down, but car repairs will as well with less collisions to worry about.

There was a lot going on at the 2015 Geneva Motor Show, but one of the most exciting new developments for Audi was the release of their improved upon R8 supercar. The car looks much the same with some minor exterior adjustments, but once you take it out onto the track the major performance improvements are easy to spot.

Lighter and Lower to the Ground

The R8 is now lighter and lower to the ground. It shed over 100 pounds thanks to more extensive use of heavy-duty aluminum in the frame and carbon fiber around the body. These two materials come together to shave off quite a bit of weight and make the body even more rigid than before as well. The latest body and frame are based on the Lamborghini Huracan that’s been modified for more space within. The new body shaves a bit of height off the roofline of the car while also putting it closer to the ground for a much sleeker look. The car’s also wider than before and should handle even better at high speeds than the old model did.

A Flexible Interior

Even though the new R8 is a supercar with performance numbers that are set in stone the interior is quite flexible and allows you to decide what features you prefer. For instance, if you like a classic look you can choose from more classic options. If you prefer the more modern approach there are very futuristic interior options that you can go with.

The All-New Virtual Cockpit

If you saw the Audi TT vehicle then you’re at least somewhat familiar with the virtual cockpit concept. The R8 is employing the same concept but doing so with more class and better tech. The vehicle provides a TFT display screen for the driver and a set of buttons at the underside of the steering wheel to manipulate that screen. The central screen isn’t present in the vehicle and it has a very streamlined look and functions smoothly.

The Same Engine with New Options Later

The R8 comes packed with the same 5.2 liter V10 engine used in the last model. It provides 540 HP, or you can choose to upsize your power with the V10 Plus engine that offers 610HP instead. Both of these engines rely on technology from last generation, but the future promises to bring newer and smaller engine options as well. Later on after the initial launch is over an all-electric version as well as several smaller options will surface for those interested in something different to choose.

No More Manual

If you have a love for manual transmissions like I do then you’ll be upset to hear that Audi has done away with the option in the new R8. Instead you only have the option to utilize the seven speed dual wet-clutch system. It’s supposed to be very smooth and very fast, but it won’t offer the same experience as a manual would. To make up for the lack of control over the transmission you get an enhanced control over vehicle handling instead with driver selective modes. You’ll have a set of performance modes to choose from and you can switch it between Performance or Dynamic to Comfort for a much different driving experience. Some of the lower performance modes make use of a feature known as “sailing” that decouples the driveline after the vehicle passes over the 34 MPH mark to save on fuel use by minimizing the power provided.

The all-new R8 may look virtually unchanged on the outside by all the performance tweaks made to the vehicle should result in a discernibly different road feel overall.

Audi stunned the world with its first Prologue concept car last year, showing off a very modern looking vehicle, and giving everyone a glimpse into the possible future of the brand. Now they are going to release a second Prologue concept that stretches out the first creating the Prologue Avant Concept, or a highly modern hatchback design. It’s expected to rely on the same modern features that wowed the world in the first model, but expand upon them and bring in some enhancements that will only serve to make it even more stunning than the first.

The Most Likely Engine

Audi hasn’t given out any details about what type of engine is going to be packed into the Prologue Avant car yet, but it’s pretty likely that it’s going to rely on the same engine setup that was in the Prologue Concept back in 2014. If that’s the case it will have a 4 liter V8 engine packing 605 HP overall and managing a massive 750 Nm of torque thanks to the turbocharged nature of the engine. That’s a massive amount of power. The vehicle will probably rely on the same electric turbo feature as the concept by utilizing a built-in 48 volt system.

A Glance into the Interior

Since the Prologue Avant hasn’t been released yet it’s impossible to give you an actual look into the interior, but by looking at the Prologue concept once again it’s easy to guess at what will be inside. The concept car was outfitted with a bendable OLED display and was configured much like the cockpit of an airplane. It also used a tiered dash display to give the vehicle a more spacious feel. Overall the vehicle had a very streamlined look with all of the screens shaped like the dash and other surfaces they are mounted on to provide a natural look while offering advanced information.

Difference from the First concept

While there aren’t any official images out for the Avant concept car it’s believed to be a stretched out version of the original concept with a longer and sleeker look. The Avant will have a set of four doors at on the sides and a fifth door at the back making it into a modern hatch design. It is also going to feature very similar tail lights with new graphics to change up the design a bit. The car’s also going to have a roof-mounted spoiler that adds a nice sporty accent to it. The interior is expected to be exactly the same, but there is a chance that a few minor changes could be made, such as some new colors being worked into the materials, and some new trim options being added on.

This new concept car will be displayed at the 2015 Geneva Motor Show and should be one of the more interesting vehicles to be unveiled. Keep an eye on the event for a closer look at the highly anticipated concept, and get a glimpse into Audi’s future.